Why does custom photography cost more?

My prints do cost more than chain stores. Why does custom photography cost more? There is a great article written by Marianne Drenthe that explains what costs and time goes into custom photography.
Here's an excerpt from the article.

http://www.professionalchildphotographer.com/information/?p=6

TIME of the CUSTOM PHOTOGRAPHER:
Approaching it from a time standpoint, for instance let’s imagine if you will that you have hired a photographer who has work that you love and that is travelling an hour to your on location session. TIme break down:
*session prep time (30 mins - 1 hour, includes equipment and back up equipment checks + vehicle checks)
one hour travel time TO session
*15-30 minutes prep time at client’s home
*90 minutes-2 hours with client photographing subject
*one hour travel time FROM session
*30-45 minutes uploading time from digital cards from camera to computer
*30-45 minutes time spent backing up the original images
*2-5 hours editing time to present you with a diverse gallery of edited images
*1 hour prep time getting ready for ordering
*2-3 hours time with client for ordering images
*1 hour sorting through and checking order
*30 minutes-1 hour prep time for delivery
*30 minutes-1 hour getting order shipped
*any additional phone time or time needed for add on ordering, shipment issues, quality issues
As you can see, average client time for a session ranges from just under 13 hours to 19 hours dependent on the photographer’s level of service. This is time dedicated only to your session. When the photographer charges $150-$300 for the photo shoot you are not just paying for the two hours of session time, you are paying the photographer for 12-19 hours complete time for your session.


To read more about custom photography, please visit http://www.professionalchildphotographer.com/information/?p=6
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